Let It Go
by Daisy Chains and Growing Pains
Summary: (Prisoners, 2013 (Detective Loki)) "Look, kid, we can't always save the day. Aright? We're just cops. Janitors. So we lost this one, alright? Look you want fulfillment, you need to find a girl, you know, start a family, have some kids. Let it go."


Wet.

In the small town, wet was just a daily description; wet, dark, and gloomy. Conyers rarely saw the sun peak from behind the clouds. The Pennsylvania town was lucky to see the sunshine in the summer months, but the heat would be so unbearable that most would stay inside, sitting idly by their air conditioning and watching TV, moaning about how much the rain was missed. Most days, some citizens would feel as if they lived in the Pacific Northwest instead of the East Coast. But for some, the dreary weather was all they knew.

The young detective held the handle of the black umbrella with a tight grip, hoping the wind wouldn't catch it and repeat the episode he endured last week as he briskly walked across the slick parking lot. Like he did every morning, he questioned why he had become the coffee mule, not remembering playing jockey to drink carriers being part of his 'fucking job description.' He also questioned why he didn't drive the extra half mile to the Starbucks drive-thru, but the taste and prices of the small coffee shop kept him coming back every morning. Funny stereotype about cops, coffee drinking was. Loki had never quite understood it until he became a cop himself; the long hours demanding infinite cups of straight black caffeine.

He folded the umbrella down, the bell ringing as he entered the small café. The young barista looked up from her position at the espresso machine, smiling from under her logoed ball cap, "Morning, Detective! The usual order?" she asked cheerfully. He nodded, offering a half smile in return. The barista labeled another cup with a bright red marker, "Let me finish up here and I'll get right on it."

"Alright," he said, settling himself into one of the overstuffed arm chairs, slipping his phone out of his raincoat pocket and idly filtering through his emails. He watched as the barista filled drink carriers on the pickup counter, the final amount reaching four paper caddies. "Ma'am?" the barista called.

The only other customer looked up from her magazine, standing to collect her drinks. Loki glanced up from his phone, only to find himself looking up again at the costumer. Her long, what he figured to be curly, hair was neatly woven into a braid, lilac colored scrubs hugging her small frame in an appealing way. He could only see her back. She was new to his daily trip to the café. He was used to seeing nurses and dental assistants come in and out, but her presence was a new one.

"Thank you," she said to the girl, dropping a few bills into the tip jar. She hesitated a moment, he could see the cogs turning as she devised her plan of attack on how the gather the carriers.

"Do you want help out?" the barista asked.

"No," the woman said, her voice high and clear like a bell, "That's alright, I'll find a way. Thank you." She slid one off the counter, "I'll just take two trips." The barista had gone off to fill his order, leaving the blonde on her own. She continued to struggle. Loki stood, placing his due amount next to the register, "Just leave it on the counter," he instructed the barista, who just nodded. He took two of the nurse's carriers, "Let me help you out."

She turned to face him, big blue eyes boring into his own. She smiled, "Thank you,"

He returned her smile, trying not to focus on her pretty face. Sky eyes, freckles across the nose, wispy curls that poked out from under her light pink cotton headband. He was not one for dumb clichés, or to fawn over pretty women, but she reminded him of the animated princess from the Disney movie released a few years ago that he had seen commercials for on TV; the blonde one with the long hair and the frying pan. She looked familiar on a personal level, also. Someone that he just couldn't put a name too. "I'm parked just out front. The white Prius." She informed him.

She watched as his gaze drifted out the front windows, a twinkle of disappointment in his eyes as he realized how close she was parked to the building. He was handsome, probably a full half a foot taller than her, his dark hair slicked back. She searched his body for identification, hoping to find his name, remembering the barista had called him detective. He was dressed in rather plain business wear; a white button up under his black raincoat, black dress pants, and black work boots. A dark shape peered over the collar of his shirt; a strange eight-pointed star of sorts. His badge glinted on his waist. "I'm Elizabeth, by the way, Elizabeth O'Malley." she said, reached her petite hand out, "My dad is actually the police captain here in town."

It hit him, Captain O' Malley; the same eyes that had stared and cursed at him front across his office smiled warmly from the girl's face. _Untouchable,_ his head screamed, _she's untouchable!_ He took her hand, giving it a firm shake, "Detective Loki. I know your father all too well."

"I figured, you being a detective."

He chuckled and motioned to the door, the nurse to walk in front of him. He pushed the door open, holding it for her as she walked out, "I haven't seen you around before," he commented, mentally kicking himself for what sounded like a very creepy comment. Small talk wasn't normally the quiet man's forte. He usually kept to himself, his head down and focused on his work.

She slid a carrier on top of the car, retrieving her keys from her purse and unlocking her car, "I just got transferred to the hospital here, actually." He helped her load the carriers into her passenger seat, "I'm from Philly actually. Well, I'm from here, went to college in Philly," she explained, "And my coworkers decided to make the new girl Coffee Gopher." She retreated from the rain up under the overhang of the building, standing across from the detective.

Loki laughed lightly, a sound Elizabeth enjoyed. "Yeah, I know how that story goes." His eyes found the id badge holder clipped to her scrub pocket, reading the swirly writing on the button shaped clip, "Emergency, huh?"

She pulled her braid over her shoulder, smiling. Loki drew his hand through his hair nervously; Elizabeth caught the strange double blink of his clear blue eyes. A tic, perhaps? She brushed it to the side, finding him only more intriguing. "Yes." She said sweetly.

"You don't seem like one for a whole lot of action," he instantly regretted his word choice, "I mean,"

"It's okay, I get that a lot." She said, "No, I appreciate the thrill. Keeps me on my feet. I'm sure your job is the same, Detective?" she asked, her big doe eyes catching his.

Another double blink. "Yeah."

He glanced inside, a single drink carrier waiting for him. He found himself debating whether or not to tear himself away, the nurse so incredibly captivating his attention, only with a few minor lines of small talk. She noticed his glance into the café, offering another smile, "Well, I should be letting you go, Detective. I need to be getting back to the hospital to finish my shift, and you surely must be getting to your job." She wiped the rain from her brow, annoyed slightly by the presence of rain clouds in late October.

He ran his hand across his face, cupping it over his mouth for a moment before dropping it to his side, nodding, "Yeah."

"Thank you again for your help,"

"Of course," he offered a half smile, "See you 'round."

She smiled, opening her car door, "See you around."

He turned back towards the entrance, her tires squelching against the wet asphalt. He pushed the encounter with the town's new resident out of his mind, chalking it up to just another part of his job; being a help to his community. He collected his umbrella, not noticing how wet he was from his short conversation outside until he picked up the tray, his wet fingers leaving water stains on the cardboard. And with that, he returned to the unmarked black Crown Victoria. He caught a glimpse of the nurse's taillights as she turned out of the parking lot on to the main road, wondering if her face would surface again amongst the gray.

* * *

The old cart clanged as Elizabeth dropped her purse into the children's seat. There wasn't much in Conyers, as she discovered upon moving here a month ago. The town Safeway had become a familiar stop to her after her 12 hour shift in the emergency room. She enjoyed the hospital, the days normally leisurely, only a few patients here and there. Nothing extravagant, a few broken bones and work injuries.

She milled through the aisles, picking up an occasional product. She often questioned why she went to the great lengths of cooking for herself and hadn't turned to the dark side of microwave dinners. She was normally by herself, minding the occasional girlfriend who stopped by for a few glasses of wine and the latest gossip or her parents and siblings stopping by. Her mother was amazed that at 26 (going on 27), she still lived alone without a significant other, or at least a man who she was seeing. Her family was truly the only reason she had taken the position at the hospital, hoping to build her relationships with her nieces and nephews and be closer to her father; being a Daddy's Girl at heart.

She picked a box of crackers off the shelf, her focus on her small list as she pushed her cart down the aisle, her attention elsewhere. She didn't find herself back to Earth until her cart collided with another, it giving her a jolt as metal clashed against metal. "Sorry!" she started with her apologies, pulling her cart back and looking to the other shopper. The handsome detective from earlier smirked back at her, "No, my fault," he said, "I should have been watching."

She smiled, "So we meet again," she giggled.

He chuckled, "I guess," Elizabeth scanned over the contents of his carts; frozen meals and a container of blueberries, along with a case of water tucked under the cart. He scanned hers also, "Whatta making?" he asked.

"What?" her attention snapped back, "Oh, spaghetti. Keeping it easy tonight."

Another double blink, he laughed, "You call that easy? I can hardly heat an oven bake pizza," he joked.

Elizabeth giggled, "Oh, it's not that hard," she sighed, up righting her jostled purse. Loki stared at the girl, enjoying the sound of her laugh. He studied her features; a single curl had escaped her headband, falling in her eyes, and he felt the strange urge to brush it back into her braid. His eyes grabbed to the few bags of candy in her cart, "Oh shit, its Halloween Wednesday." He commented, rubbing the back of his neck. He had forgotten about the holiday a mere four days away. He felt as if he was trespassing; this girl was his boss's daughter. She couldn't be attractive.

Elizabeth had noticed that he wasn't one for small talk, his posture uncomfortable and awkward. She found him charming, "Yeah. Do you have any plans? You and your family?" She didn't notice a wedding ring, much to her pleasure, only a gold ring on his pinky engraved with an undeterminable symbol. She found this the most discreet way to question his availability. It wasn't often she found herself in the company of a handsome, yet nervous, police detective.

He shook his head, much to her enjoyment, "No. Just me. I'll be on call more than likely, but I'll be home, I guess." He pulled his cart to the side out of the way of other shoppers trying to pass by, "You?" He was amazed; he stood there with a complete stranger and talked to her like an old friend. It was completely abnormal for him. She also shook her head, explaining to him how she would probably be at home, handing out candy to trick-or-treaters, "A pretty shitty day for a birthday, too, I guess. My siblings will be wrapped up with their little ones and most of my friends have kids, and my old man will be down at the station also." She laughed.

He offered a small smile, "I'm sorry to hear that,"

A mousy old woman passed by the twosome, "Excuse me," she muttered, glaring at Elizabeth from under thick, outdated brown plastic glasses.

Elizabeth touched the woman's shoulder, apologizing quickly. Loki glanced down at his watch, noticing how late the hour grew; 8:45. Realizing he had become a road block, he looked up at Elizabeth, "I should be going. It's getting pretty late."

Elizabeth felt a wave a disappointment wash over her, _What's wrong with you?_ She asked herself, _You just met him. He works with Dad, for Christ's sake. _"I should let you go." She agreed.

David wrapped his fingers around the cart's handle, hoping she would ask another question and force him to stay a little longer. "See you 'round," he said softly, offering another double blink and kind smirk.

"See you around," she repeated, working her way down the aisle. He turned his back, continuing to the opposite side of the store.

"Detective Loki!"

He turned, the blonde nurse striding towards him. He raised his eyebrows inquisitively, urging her to speak. She giggled a bit, staring down at her white trainers and tugging her braid over her shoulder. Rapunzel? Was that the princess? Yeah. "I, um," she looked up, her eyes locking on his, "I didn't catch your first name."

He chuckled, "David."

"Nice to meet you David, I'm Elizabeth."


End file.
